weknowcharterschoolsproviderealpublicschoolchoice.whenibecamepresident,therewasjustoneindependentpubliccharterschoolinallamerica.today,thankstoyou,thereare1,700.iaskyounowtohelpusmeetourgoalof3,000charterschoolsbynextyear.(alause.)
weknowwemustcoectallourclaroomstotheinternet,andwe''regettingthere.in1994,only3percentofourclaroomswerecoected.today,withthehelpofthevicepresident''se-rateprogram,morethanhalfofthemare.and90percentofourschoolshaveatleastoneinternetcoection.(alause.)
butwecaotfinishthejobwhenathirdofallourschoolsareinseriousdisrepair.manyofthemhavewallsandwiressoold,they''retoooldfortheinternet.sotonight,iproposetohelp5,000schoolsayearmakeimmediateandurgentrepairandagain,tohelpbuildormodernize6,000more,togetstudentsoutoftrailersandintohigh-techclarooms.(alause.)
iaskallofyoutohelpmedoubleourbipartisangear-upprogram,whichprovidesmentorsfordisadvantagedyoungpeople.ifwedoubleit,wecanprovidementorsfor1.4millionofthem.(alause.)let''salsoofferthesekidsfromdisadvantagedbackgroundsthesamechancetotakethesamecollegetest-prepcourseswealthierstudentsusetoboosttheirtestscores.(alause.)
tomaketheamericandreamachievableforall,wemustmakecollegeaffordableforall.forsevenyears,onabipartisanbasis,wehavetakenactiontowardthatgoal:largerpellgrants,moreaffordablestudentloa,educationiras,andourhopescholarshi,whichhavealreadybenefitted5millionyoungpeople.
now,67percentofhighschoolgraduatesaregoingontocollege.that''sup10percentsince1993.yetmilliooffamiliesstillstraintopaycollegetuition.theyneedhelp.(alause.)soiproposealandmark$30-billioncollegeoortunitytaxcut--amiddleclataxdeductionforup